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Hundreds of farmers from India’s Punjab state were stopped by police at the Shambhu border on Tuesday as they attempted to travel to New Delhi to attend a “Kisan Mahapanchayat” protesting the proposed India-US trade agreement.
According to Indian media reports, authorities erected multiple layers of barricades, including concrete blocks, iron spikes and other security barriers, at the Punjab-Haryana border to prevent the protesters from entering the national capital.
The heavy security deployment revived memories of the “Delhi Chalo-2” farmers’ movement in February 2024, when similar measures were used to stop demonstrators.
Unable to proceed to Delhi, the farmers turned the Shambhu border into a protest site, accusing the authorities of denying them their democratic right to hold a peaceful rally in the capital.
Farmer leaders criticised both the Haryana and Punjab governments over the restrictions.
The protest, organised under the banner of Desh Bachao Morcha, had drawn participation from farmers’ organisations in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The groups are demanding that the government halt negotiations on the proposed trade agreement with the United States.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, a leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), said members of the KMSC, Punjab unit of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, Azad Kisan Morcha and Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Sangharsh, among others, had begun their journey to Delhi before being stopped at the Shambhu border.
Another farmer leader, Tejbir Singh, alleged that Haryana Police had set up barricades inside Punjab territory and accused the Punjab government of failing to take effective action.
While Punjab farmers were prevented from crossing the border, protesters from Haryana’s Ambala, Kurukshetra and several other districts reportedly continued their march towards Delhi.
Farmer organisations fear that the proposed India-US trade agreement could further open India’s market to American agricultural and dairy products, putting small and marginal Indian farmers at a disadvantage against subsidised US imports.
They say the agreement may cover a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, dairy, manufacturing, digital trade, e-commerce, investment, government procurement, intellectual property and services.
The protesters also claim that the United States has been seeking greater access to the Indian market for products such as soybeans, corn, cotton, ethanol, apples, almonds, dairy products, poultry and fisheries.
Farmer groups warned that India’s dairy sector supports nearly 80 million rural families and argued that any adverse impact on the industry could severely affect farmers, small businesses, food-processing industries and the rural economy.
They demanded that the central government make all documents related to the proposed trade agreement public and refrain from signing any deal without consulting farmers, labour groups, dairy producers and other stakeholders.
Authorities have tightened security around Delhi amid the farmers’ mobilisation, with political observers saying the fresh protests could increase pressure on the central government at a time when the capital is also witnessing student-led demonstrations.
